Little Jabs

Little Jabs
Studio album by Two Hours Traffic
Released July 24, 2007
Recorded The Sonic Temple, Halifax
Richmond Street Rehearsal Rm 108, Toronto
Genre Indie rock, power pop
Label Bumstead
Producer Joel Plaskett
Two Hours Traffic chronology

Two Hours Traffic
(2005)		 Little Jabs
(2007)		 Territory
(2009)
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Americana UK 7/10 14 July 2007
Edmonton Journal 5/5 14 July 2007
Exclaim! favourable Aug 2007
Fast Forward Weekly favourable 26 July 2007
NOW 19 July 2007

Little Jabs is the second full-length studio album by Canadian indie rock band Two Hours Traffic, released on Bumstead Records on July 24, 2007. The album was produced by Joel Plaskett, and recorded in Halifax and Toronto.

Guitarist Alec O'Hanley explained the Little Jabs reference: "The title is meant to be about that point in a relationship where you’re more and more curt with one another... And in song, it’s meant to be little blasts—jabs—in these three-minute pop songs."[1]

Reception

The critical reception has been positive. Music critic Iain Ilich of the Edmonton Journal wrote that it was the best album he has heard so far this year.[2] Other critics have compared the band favorably to Joel Plaskett's own releases,[3] and place the band in the tradition of great Canadian pop, citing the "catchy hooks".[4] One critic correctly predicted in July 2007 that the album would be nominated for a Polaris Music Prize in 2008,[5] and Eye Weekly named it one of the top 20 albums of 2007.[6]

The album reached the top ten of Chart magazine's Canadian College Radio Top 50 Chart.[7]

Little Jabs was named Alternative Rock Recording of the Year at the 2007 Music P.E.I. Awards, as Two Hours Traffic also received the award for Group of the Year.[8] The album is nominated for Recording of the Year, Pop Recording of the Year, and Video of the Year ("Jezebel", directed by Ron Mann) at the 2008 East Coast Music Awards.[9]

The album was a nominee for the 2008 Polaris Music Prize.[10]

Promotion

The videos for "Stuck for the Summer" and "Jezebel" are receiving airplay on MuchMusic. Songs from the album have appeared in American television shows Gossip Girl, Smallville, Ghost Whisperer, Happy Endings, Castle, and The O.C.[11]

Track listing

All songs were written by Two Hours Traffic.

  1. "Nighthawks"
  2. "No Advances"
  3. "Stuck for the Summer"
  4. "Heroes of the Sidewalk"
  5. "Jezebel"
  6. "Backseat Sweetheart"
  7. "Whenever We Finish"
  8. "Stolen Earrings"
  9. "Sure Can Start"
  10. "Heatseeker"
  11. "Arms Akimbo"

Credits

Notes

  1. ↑ O'Keefe, Mary Christa (2007-09-12). "Two Hours Traffic's Little Jabs make big noise". Vue Weekly. Retrieved 2008-07-08.
  2. ↑ Ilich, Iain (2007-07-14). "Little Jabs". Edmonton Journal. p. C3.
  3. ↑ Borzykowski, Brian (2007-07-19). "Two Hours Traffic: Little Jabs". NOW. Retrieved 2007-07-25.
  4. ↑ McGuirk, William (2007-07-21). "Top down, hit repeat..... drive". News Durham Region. Retrieved 2007-07-25.
  5. ↑ McGuirk, William (2007-07-20). "An interview with Two Hours Traffic". News Durham Region. Retrieved 2007-07-25.
  6. ↑ "Best Albums". Eye Weekly. 2008-01-16. Retrieved 2008-01-25.
  7. ↑ "Top 50 albums from Canadian Campus/Community Radio Airplay". Chart. 2007-08-10. Retrieved 2009-03-20.
  8. ↑ Cole, Sally (2007-11-12). "Five awards a real charm for Bear River musician". Charlottetown Guardian. Retrieved 2007-12-24.
  9. ↑ "ECMA 2008 nominees". The Buzz. January 2008. Retrieved 2008-01-25.
  10. ↑ Polaris Music Prize
  11. ↑ Van Evra, Jennifer. "Two Hours Traffic Talks Success, Upcoming Tour And Carlos From Mexico", CBC Radio 3, 2008-01-24. Retrieved on 2008-01-25.

References

External links